Get to Know Betsy Lehman, PhD (She|Her)

Trauma Coordinator | Licensed Psychologist

Betsy Lehman (she/her/hers) is a staff psychologist and the Trauma Coordinator at the CAPS Calhoun location.  She is a liaison with the Office of Gender, Equity and Inclusion (OGEI) and the campus advocates, and she is passionate about making sure that students have access to trauma-informed care on campus.  Betsy graduated from the University of Akron with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, and is licensed to practice in Ohio.

Betsy identifies as a primarily humanistic psychologist, with a therapeutic approach that combines self-compassion with deep listening to students’ stories and looking for strengths and “survival skills.”   Because the way we experience our world is connected to our identities, cultures, upbringing, and environment, Betsy places emphasis on exploring how all of these pieces fit together in students’ lives.  As part of that process, she believes that it is important to examine the ways that systems of power and oppression can play a role in people’s struggles.  Too often, society places blame on people for problems that are a reflection of unhealthy systems.  Betsy creates space in therapy to name and identify both helpful and harmful systems, and explore what students need in order to be the healthiest and most authentic versions of themselves.

In addition to hearing people’s stories, Betsy loves hiking, foraging in the woods, dancing, and trying to get plants to grow in her swampy backyard!  She’s also a big fan of the app Healthy Minds Program, which she uses regularly in support of her own mental health.  Lastly, she’s a sucker for all things related to dogs, mushrooms, and pickling!